▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - Synthetic polymers are recycled by combining the polymers with a solid depolymerizing catalyst in a vessel; mechanically shearing the combined polymers and solid depolymerizing catalyst against each other to produce monomers from the polymers; and collecting the monomers. USE - Recycling synthetic polymers. ADVANTAGE - Since the crystallizers are operating with a volatile organic solvent (low heat of vaporization), energy consumption is expected to be much lower than for monomer crystallizations from aqueous solvents in biological depolymerizations. The crystallization processes can be demonstrated using simple rotary evaporators. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for: (1) mechanochemically recycling synthetic polymer products which involves (a) milling the synthetic polymer products and solid depolymerizing catalyst in a milling vessel with a grinding ball, where the synthetic polymer products are depolymerized into monomers; (b) introducing vaporized water and alcohol into the milling vessel to produce a slurry; (c) recovering the catalyst and unreacted or partially reacted synthetic polymer products from the slurry, where the catalyst and unreacted or partially reacted synthetic polymer products can be used again in another cycle of recycling; (d) separating synthetic polymer product monomers and non-polymer monomers from the slurry; and (e) purifying the synthetic polymer product monomers and non-polymer monomers, where the purified monomers are used as products or byproducts to produce new synthetic polymer products; (2) depolymerizing synthetic polymers which involves (a) milling a synthetic polymer and a catalyst in a milling vessel with a grinding ball, where the synthetic polymers are depolymerized into monomers; (b) recovering the solid fraction; (c) introducing the solid fraction into water, where the catalyst and soluble monomer products are dissolved into the water producing a liquid comprising dissolved catalyst and soluble monomer products; and (d) precipitating the soluble monomer products from the liquid; (3) system for recycling synthetic polymers, comprising (a) a mechanochemical reactor; (b) a mixing tank downstream of and in liquid communication with the mechanochemical reactor; (c) a nanofiltration system downstream of and in liquid communication with the mixing tank; (d) solvent dryers in liquid communication with both the mixing tank and nanofiltration system, and optionally in liquid communication with the mechanochemical reactor; (e) a crystallizer, chromatography column, or both downstream of and in liquid communication with nanofiltration system; and (f) a distillation unit downstream of and in liquid communication with the crystallizer, and/or chromatography column; and (4) recycling synthetic polymers from solid mixed textile waste which involves combining a solid mixed textile waste feedstock with a solid depolymerizing catalyst in a vessel; mechanically shearing the combined solid mixed textile waste feedstock and the solid depolymerizing catalyst against each other to produce monomers from polymers present in the solid mixed waste feedstock; collecting the monomers; purifying the monomers; and repolymerizing the monomer into synthetic polymers for repurposing. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic view of the base case continuous process flowsheet for mixed-waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling by mechnocatalyic depolymerization and product separations.